


Beregond's Prayer standing on watch

by HASA_Archivist



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Poetry, War of the Ring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2004-09-08
Packaged: 2018-03-26 13:49:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3853043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HASA_Archivist/pseuds/HASA_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poem on Beregond, Bergil, and ‘Courage under fire’ including an essay on Tolkien's view on Middle Earth faith.<br/>This poem was written after a HA-discussion with Dwimordene about ‘Courage under Fire’ with respect to Aristotle’s notion of a 'fine death in war'. I thank Dwimordene for the permission to use in the notes some of her words.<br/>As a prayer it is entered into the HASA challenge <a class="bodylink" href="http://www.henneth-annun.net/members/challenge/challenge_detail.cfm?NGID=289">I'm a believer</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beregonds Prayer

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

(Beregond standing watch after Faramir’s retreat from Osgiliath and before Denethor’s pyre)

Greatest Being,  | help us fickle men,  
---|---  
protect my son,  | staying here behind  
despite my wish  | not to lose him to  
an early death.  | Yet my soldier's mind  
could not deny him  | yearning for brave deeds.   
And secretly I  | long'd for him - to stay with me.   
  
  
Greatest Being,  | help us mortal men,   
protect my lord,  | lying hewn near death,   
who valiant fought  | to gain us time till   
rescue cometh  | down from northern plains.   
Gave a soldier's  | life and being for   
Gondor's children  | to last through - perilous threat.   
  
  
Greatest Being,  | help us frailish men,   
protect ourselves  | fighting through the charge,   
in defence of  | our children’s future,   
serving with our  | bodies to uphold  
Minas Tirith’s  | ring walls devoid of  
Orks and Evil,  | fighting for - freedom to last.   
  
  


***** 

A/N:   
I use "frailish" instead of "frail" to maintain the rhythm.  
  
I use "Orks" because I found in HoME 12 the essay "Of Dwarves and Men" and "The Shibboleth of Feanor" wherein Tolkien uses "Orks" instead of "Orcs". And in an illuminating note (1969 or later) at the end of the essay "Myths transformed" (HoME10) Tolkien wrote: "Also the spelling of what, in the later more organized linguistic situation, must have been a Common Speech form of a word or group of similar words should be _ork_. If only because of spelling difficulties in modern English: an adjective _orc + ish_ becomes necessary, and _orcish_ will not do [note 8: because it would be pronounced 'orsish']. In any future publication I shall use _ork_." 


	2. Background of the poem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poem on Beregond, Bergil, and Courage under fire including an essay on Tolkien's view on Middle Earth faith.

Who is called upon in this prayer? Greatest being means Iluvatar (Eru), which for me is God, all encompassing, with features of male and female personality, of which we are a part, thinking our small thoughts, having our own blurred vision of reality, of which we are originated, to which we return after death. For me the world and the universe are part of God. And Eru (Iluvatar) is for me a Middle-Earth representation of God.  
  
Tolkien wrote in Silmarillion, Ainulindale, The Music of the Ainur:  
 _There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Iluvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before else was made. And he spoke to them, propounding to them themes of music; and they sang before him, and he was glad._  
  
…  
But when they come to the Void, Iluvatar said to them: ‘Behold your Music !’ And he showed to them a vision, giving to them sight where before was only hearing; and they saw a new World made visible before them, and it was globed amid the Void, and it was sustained therein, but it was not of it.  
  
This poem uses pantheism with the notion of an ultimate source of all. We can not know what God is, we can only feel it through our small minds. Eru is one description of it.  
  
Tolkien, Silmarillion, Ainulindale, The Music of the Ainur:  
 _For the Children of Iluvatar were conceived by him alone; and they came with the third theme, …, and none of the Ainur had part in their making._  
  
*****  
  
What is known of Eru in Gondor ? The Valar had contact with the Elves, thus the Elves and from them the Edain and the Dunedain should know of Eru the Greatest Being, at least dimly. Melian, who served in Valinor Vana and Este, lived hundreds of years with Elves. Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast and two other Istari are emissaries of the Valar in Middle Earth. Moreover, the Dunedain of Gondor are the descendants of the Numenoreans who worshiped Eru.  
  
Tolkien, UT, A Description of the Island of Númenor  
 _Near to the centre of the Mittalmar stood the tall mountain called Meneltarma, Pillar of the Heavens, **sacred to the worship of Eru Iluvatar** . … Thrice only in each year the King spoke, offering prayer for the coming year at the Erukeyerme in the first days of spring, **praise of Eru Iluvatar** at the Erulaitale in midsummer, and thanksgiving to him at the Eruhantale at the end of autumn. At these times the King ascended the mountain on foot followed by a great concourse of the people, clad in white and garlanded, but silent._  
  
*****  
  
Does Beregond expect a reaction from Eru ? No, only once Eru intervened in Middle Earth which resulted in the Akallabeth (Silmarillion):  
 _Then Manwe upon the Mountain called upon Iluvatar, and for that time the Valar laid down their government of Arda. But Iluvatar showed forth his power, and he changed the fashion of the world;_  
  
After this Numenorean catastrophe caused by the hubris of Men neither Eru nor the Valar actively intervene in Middle-Earth in the third age. Thus, Beregond calls Iluvatar just to strengthen his will of defence and to feel more secure about Bergil.  
  
*****  
  
A/N: Bold emphasizements made by me to guide the eye to the worship of Eru in ME by Men.


	3. Writing process

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poem on Beregond, Bergil, and Courage under fire including an essay on Tolkien's view on Middle Earth faith.

I started with Beregond’s thoughts on 'Bergil’s staying in Minas Tirith'. I thought he would wish as much protection for his son as possible. Thus the call for the 'Greatest Being' was the first two words generated in my mind. Then I thought why Beregond allowed Bergil to stay.  
  
From the protection of Bergil went my mind in representation of Beregond to Faramir whom he loved obviously also. Faramir as his model soldier sacrificing himself and his wishes for the well-being of others. The most likely future for Beregond.  
  
And lastly I wanted to encompass the future of Beregond and Minas Tirith with Beregond as one of her defenders. So he calls in his mind to strengthen his will for later. The last three words then took some time, to decide what Beregond would fight for. Here I took my own thoughts as I could not envision what Beregond would fight for in the end. 'Freedom' is rather too impersonal for Beregond IMO. But I wanted an uplifting encompassing ending: after first personal thoughts 'stay with me', secondly 'perilous threat' from outside, comes thirdly 'freedom to last' for all compatriots.  
  
Remembering the process I had first 'Greatest Being, help us mortal men' in all three verses which I thought too simple. Thus I searched for other words to replace ‘mortal’ as qualities of mankind in two places.  
  
“Fickle” is illustrated through Beregond's initial decision to secure his son’s life by sending him away and his later double motivation for allowing Bergil to stay in Minas Tirith.  
  
“Mortal” is described through the wounding and dying of soldiers (Faramir in particular) who must stand until others come to die with/for them, that Gondor’s children may not die. The 'children of Gondor' here are meant to encompass all the populace of Gondor not only the non-adults. But preponderance have the small children not able to defend themselves, the hope for future.  
  
"Frail" should invoke the idea of body weakness and the vulnerability to death. Further, 'frail' was to imply beside body-frailness (protect ourselves) also 'frail' minds, likely to flee before great evil and overpowering threats. To overcome the fear such a calling to the Greatest Being is of highest importance in my mind. To strengthen will and stamina. Therefore I think all warriors in all times call to God in its various forms before a battle. Thus I thought movie-Aragorn’s speech before the black gate very ill-advised by its negative thinking. Speaking of what is bad instead of leading the thoughts to that what is good.  
  
On the other hand the image of men acting as walls should also recall Gandalf's assertion that men serve better than gates, indicating the inherent superiority of men (with their bodies and wills) over unthinking stone which can be broken by sheer force. Because walls are only like an armour, it needs the frail body inside to make the armour of use. Only as long as the armoured body lashes out the armour has any use. Undefended walls are easily to overcome by a few ladders or ropes.  
  
*****  
  
A/N: Some parts of the sentences above were written by Dwim when she discussed her impression of the poem. I thank her for the permission to use those words.


End file.
